Local church launches program to deliver food to pets of the homeless

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Norene Greene, Robert Garnsey, James Shoemaker and Teddy Greene of New Hope Christian Center, deliver food to the homeless who have dogs and cats Saturday, April 14, 2018. John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com

Norene Greene, Robert Garnsey, James Shoemaker and Teddy Greene of New Hope Christian Center, deliver food to the homeless who have dogs and cats at Sean's Outpost Saturday, April 14, 2018. John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com

Beth, left, recieves pet food and sandwiches for herself from Norene Greene,Teddy Greene and Robert Garnsey of New Hope Christian Center Saturday, April 14, 2018. The group delivers food to the homeless who have dogs and cats John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com

James Shoemaker, Norene Greene, Teddy Greene and Robert Garnsey of New Hope Christian Center, deliver food to the homeless who have dogs and cats at Sean's Outpost Saturday, April 14, 2018. John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com

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Norene Greene, Robert Garnsey, James Shoemaker and Teddy Greene of New Hope Christian Center, deliver food to the homeless who have dogs and cats at Sean's Outpost Saturday, April 14, 2018.(Photo: John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com)Buy Photo

Junior, Princess and Meanie live in a tent. They drink from old, gallon milk jugs that have been cut in half, and lounge on worn-out chairs under a makeshift canopy. They’re loyal, and more obedient than most dogs.

Their owner, Russell Baker, considers them an extension of family and though he’s currently living at the homeless encampment Sean’s Outpost, he said it’s his dogs who give him a reason to smile.

“If you get depressed, they cheer you up, they just keep you cheered up and there’s something to look forward to,” Baker said.

Baker said his son primarily buys Meanie, Junior and Princess their food, but it’s tough to be sure the lab-mastiff mixes will have food coming week-to-week.

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Norene Greene, Robert Garnsey, James Shoemaker and Teddy Greene of New Hope Christian Center, deliver food to the homeless who have dogs and cats Saturday, April 14, 2018.(Photo: John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com)

“It’s not easy, and especially because right now I’ve got one that’s sick and my son’s going to take it to the vet,” he said. “Being homeless with no funds, it’s hard on them.”

New Hope Christian Center wants to make it easier for families like Baker and his dogs, said New Hope Christian Center coordinator James Shoemaker. The church recently began collecting dog food to regularly deliver to the homeless in Escambia County as a registered partner of Nevada-based nonprofit Pets of the Homeless.

The team has so far collected pet food from members of their own congregation, in a month building the supply to about 180 pounds. Their first delivery was April 7, and from there the hope is to deliver to known encampments every weekend.

“It was incredible that day, the looks on these people’s faces when we were there to give something that people just don’t think about, I mean most of them have had dogs in homeless camps for a while and they feed them their own food,” said Robert Garnsey, a board member of New Hope Christian Center.

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Members of New Hope Christian Center deliver food to the homeless who have dogs and cats.(Photo: John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com)

Shoemaker said the hope is to keep delivering to the same sites each week so they can build a relationship with the people and pets who live at these places and give a stable source of food and one less thing to worry about.

“These babies didn’t ask for homelessness either and they’re going where their masters are, those are their parents,” Garnsey said.

Garnsey said in their first week, some people they approached were skeptical or hesitant to take the food, saying others needed it more than they did. Many were appreciative when they learned about the program, he said.

“It’s sad to see they have to live in those conditions, but they really take care of their animals better than they take care of themselves,” he said. “This gives us the chance to know that instead of them sharing a hamburger, they can feed their dogs dog food and eat their hamburger.”

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Beth recieves pet food and sandwiches for herself from New Hope Christian Center Saturday, April 14, 2018. The group delivers food to the homeless who have dogs and cats(Photo: John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com)

Another pet owner in the camp, Katherine Card, has been homeless about a month since she and her husband Daniel were evicted from their mobile home.

Their little terrier mix, 4-year-old Buster, has been with them since he was a puppy, and the pair forewent homeless shelters in order to keep their pet with them.

“You have an animal and you can’t go to shelters, but he’s my baby,” Katherine Card said, saying that when they collected their belongings like a tent, camp cookware, and their vehicle, they made sure to keep the box of stuffed animals for Buster.

“He’s part of the family, that’s the bottom line,” Daniel Card said. “You can’t just give them away to anybody.”

Anyone wanting to donate can go to New Hope Christian Center’s building at 3840 N. Davis Highway from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays or 9 to 11 a.m. Sundays, or to organize a delivery drop-off time, call Shoemaker at 850-485-8818.